You say that like it's bad thing.

My entire working life (44 years and counting) has been in either a right to work state or in a non-union field. I have never had sympathy for the "I'm owed a job, whether the employer want's me or not!" whine.

I've worked for a number of employers who didn't have the sense to see my value. In some cases, I was let go for no discernible reason or I walked away and looked for a better job. I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't want to work for someone who doesn't want me around in the same way I damn sure don't want to be forced to work somewhere I hate. I might not like a job, but I have enough sense to appreciate it while I look for another gig.

Sorry, but arguing about the difference between socialism and fascism is like arguing about the difference between Sprite and 7-Up. You may well have a preference, but both are terrible for you.

Obama executed a nearly textbook example of Socialism with the takeover of GM. He fired the CEO, allocated resources directly to "Green" cars, etc. The government controlled a means of production.

He executed an almost perfect example of Fascism in the ACA that put the coercive power of government behind huge corporations so they can dictate behavior and spending requirements to citizens.

So, are he and his cronies Socialist or Fascist? Does it really matter? We're fucked either way.

No, if someone is legally considered an adult, has the right to vote etc., he's an adult. An adult makes decisions and is responsible for those decisions.

If we want to say 18 isn't an adult, fine. No drinking, voting or ability to sign a contract. Only children want both ways.

Because the Communists won the PR war. Literally. When Stalin decided to denounce someone he called them Fascist.

It boggles the mind that any former Communist, an ideology that killed over 60 million people can be accepted just fine today and any former Nazi is forever considered the worst creature to have walked the Earth.

This is not to cry over some perceived unfairness to the Nazi, but rather to stand astounded that all Communists aren't being rounded up today with the same fervor. You claim to want justice for totalitarian perpetrators of genocide? Great, just don't pick and choose.

You're an idiot. People over 50 are too old to buy cars!? Look at who has the money, in the U.S. at least. "Old people" who have far more money as a demographic than younger people.

I'm in my 60's, no college debt, no house payment, making money hand over fist as an IT consultant. Who the fuck do you think the car companies drool over? Some young demographic with a bleak future or me?

Dumbass.

If everything DOESN'T go to hell in 5 years, will the AGW people shut the fuck up? No, I didn't think so.

You mean like ObamaCare?

I have a friend who retired in his sixties and was then lured back into the work force by contractor rates he simply couldn't walk away from. Some companies had to have an experienced COBOL programmer no matter what it cost.

Still cheaper for a few years than "Let's quickly re-write the mission critical application in xyz++" Yeah, it was going to be re-written at some point, but keeping the beast running until then was not optional.

Since we are listing age here... I'm 61 and I'm FAR more afraid of my own government than terrorists or other nations. I do believe we need intelligence services, a strong military, etc., but not at the cost of establishing a totalitarian police state in the U.S.

Oops! Too late, I suppose that boat has already sailed. A secure country doesn't need to be a police state. That's a fact.

I've also been writing software for 30+ years. Before that I was in construction. Many, many similarities between the two professions.

Short story: I took a construction management class many years ago. Knew most of it, but the real take away for me was change control. The presenter made the case that EVERY change must be charged for. Even changes that reduced the scope of the project. Sure, calculate the savings based on the estimate, but don't just stop there. Every change requires at least some time and effort. You must charge for that. If not, even tiny changes will eat away the profit.

A social/environmental collapse would still leave a MASSIVE amount of usable stuff just laying around. A single skyscraper would be a fantastic resource mine. Even a fairly large war doesn't make the insulated copper wiring suddenly vanish from buildings. You'd have to dig it out, but that's a very low tech activity.

We can still get at least some oil with 1800's tech. In some places oil still seeps out of the ground.

Roads go to crap surprising quickly. I was in a workshop shortly after the Soviet Union collapsed. The presenter took a little time off topic to talk about a book and newsletter he was publishing in Russia. Entire city's were becoming accessible only by poor train service because the roads were simply going away. It made delivering a monthly newsletter quite problematic.

I'm 61 and billing around 160k a year. 30 years in the IT trade helps. I'm constantly offered "opportunities" by the head hunters. Most aren't appropriate to my skill set, but there seems to be a lot of jobs in the Minneapolis area.

Frighteningly close to the truth. An example of Big Pharma and a corrupt lawmaker shows that the medical industry will try to regulate - charge for- anything that might work. For the sake of the children, of course.